A US Military Helicopter Flying Over Virginia Was Shot At, Injuring The Pilot

(TMU) – A US military helicopter that was flying over Manassas, Virginia, was fired upon from the ground, and officials are unsure about where the shots came from. One of the two pilots on board was shot and injured, but the other pilot was able to land the helicopter safely.

The pilot that was shot was taken to the hospital and later released with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The helicopter was reportedly on a training mission and flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet when the shooting happened. The FBI and the Air Force are currently investigating if the shooting was intentional or if it was the result of someone carelessly shooting into the air.

The US Air Force issued a statement recognizing the incident, stating that, “A UH-1N Huey helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews conducted an emergency landing at 12:43 pm on August 10th in Manassas, Va during a routine training mission. The Office of Special Investigations is fully engaged with our FBI colleagues on this incident. OSI take threats to our Airmen and our resources very seriously. As this is an ongoing investigation, no further investigative details can be released at this time.”

According to a statement from the FBI, “WFO is working jointly with our law enforcement partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. One individual in the helicopter sustained a non-threatening injury, for which he was treated and subsequently released from the hospital The FBI asks that anyone near this area at the time of the incident who may have information please call the FBI at 202-278-2000.” 

The helicopter was flying from Joint Base Andrews, a military facility located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. We will publish more updates to this story as they become available.